You can locate your own birding hotspots using topographic maps of the
Centre area and a bit of back-road exploring. The key to finding
new birding sites on your own is an understanding of the relationships
between birds, their favorite habitats, and the landscape features that
most frequently harbor the appropriate habitat. The bird species
to be seen at a site generally reflect the local habitat, particularly
the types of trees and undergrowth. The vegetation at a given site
reflects both human activity (clear cutting, strip-mining, etc.) and the
landscape features (slope, creeks, etc.). Thus we find hemlock/rhododendron
slicks in the mountain valleys and grasslands on the reclaimed strip-mines.
The birding in these habitats reflects the plants: the hemlock/rhododendron
combination brings Canada Warblers in abundance, while the grasslands have
Grasshopper Sparrows in good numbers. The following guide lists the
key birding habitats of the Centre area along with the dominant plants,
typical birds, and characteristic landscape features.

To use this guide, look up the habitat type favored by the birds youíre
after and then find likely locations to explore by examining a topographic
map. The wall-sized Centre County map from the USGS is ideal as are
the USGS quadrangle maps for smaller sections of Centre County. Unfortunately,
the contours on the Pennsylvania Gazetteer are too coarse for that map
to be of much use in bird site selection. The Penn State Library
map has all the USGS quadrangle maps for Pennsylvania so it isnít necessary
to purchase your own set of maps.

Once youíve picked out some likely looking sites, drive out to them
and have a look. Many good sites can be reached with a conventional
car, even those on dirt roads far off the beaten track. If a road
seems too rough for your car, try again after a couple of weeks of dry
weather. Drought does amazingly good things for central Pennsylvaniaís
dirt roads.

Topography: Flat areas of poor drainage in the valley floors,
poorly drained areas on the Allegheny Plateau, locally in some gaps in
the ridges.

Example: Just upstream of the point where
Shaverís Creek enters Lake Perez in the Stone Valley Recreation Area;
along the Jean Aron Trail at Bear Meadows. (The swamp forest along
the northern edge of Bear Meadows is much cooler than most of the swamp
forests of the Center Region, and contains considerable amounts of black
spruce in addition to the tree species mentioned above.) Golden-crowned
Kinglets use spruce groves for nesting.

Example: There are four major lakes in
the Centre area (Blanchard Reservoir in the Bald Eagle
State Park, Black Moshannon Lake, Lake Perez in the Stone Valley
Recreation Area, and Colyer Lake). Smaller ponds that are accessible
are found at Toftrees, Whipples Dam, Scotia Pond in The Barrens, Poe Valley
Lake and the Gatesburg Farm Ponds. Keep to the edge of the road at
the Gatesburg Farm Ponds and use the State Gamelands at Toftrees ? stay
off the golf course.